Toy



Nov. 29, 1938. 5, m 2,138,280

TOY

Filed Sept. s 1936 i I F 13 29 \h mhv M "III "In Patented Nov. 29, 1938 PATENT oFFicE TOY Smith Kyser, Ionia Mich.

Application September Claims;

This invention relates to toys and particularly to toys-with a movable figure or figures which, when manipulated, have a peculiarand interesting movement.

One of the primary purposes of my invention is to provide a toy which is very interesting and amusing and although it isdesigned to amuse and entertain children, it is also very interesting to older people.

One of the advantages of the present invention is to provide a toy which is simple to manufacture, the toy having very few parts. These parts are easily manufactured and are easily, assembled into the completed article.

Furthermore, my, invention, though fascinating in operation, is very easy to operate. It can; in fact, be operated by even a very young child.

Briefly described, my invention consists of a container having a transparent cover therefor and a mouse or other figure positioned within the container, the mouse moving forward in an intermitt-ent motion when the container is tapped slightly or jarred to give the container a vibrating movement. Under a series of quick taps the intermittent forward movement seems to be a continuous one.

A further object of the present invention is to give it movement, the movement of the figure being caused by a vibrating movement of the container such as tapping the container or by scratching the container on a roughened surface provided on the container or dropping the container a slight distance onto a hard, horizontal surface.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a body or figure which 'ispositionedwithin a container, the figure having slightly rearwardly extending bristles or hairs which rest on the bottom of the container so that any vibrating movement of the container moves the figure in a forward direction.

Further objects and purposes obtained and an understandingof the invention may be had from the following description, taken in connection" with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a toy of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the toy.

Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical sections taken through the toy on lines 33 and 4-4 respectively in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken through a portion of the bottom of the container 3, 1936, SerialNo'. 99,203

and through the mouseor figure positioned in the container;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section similar to Fig. 5 showing a modification of structure.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the severalfigures of the drawing.

The toy is provided with a container, indicated by numeral I, and has a circular bottom portion 2; The container has a cylindrical side portion 3 which extends upwardly from the edge of the circular bottom 2, this cylindrical portion 3 being knurledat its bottom edge'to form aroughened ring 4; whereby the container maybe given a vibrating movement when the knurled portion is scratched by the fingernail of the operator. The upper terminating edge of the cylindrical side portion 3' is beaded as indicated at 5 to receive the transparent cover 6 which may be made of glass, isinglass or mica.

A shielding portion is provided within the container under which the mouse passes inits movement within the container, this shield portion comprising the'horizontal semi-circular-portion I, having the'rectangular portion 8 integral there-' with and extending downwardly from its diametrical edge to the bottom-of the container. Thisshield portion is held within the container by means of the tabs 9 and H) which extend outwardly from theouter edges of the portions 1 and 8 respectively, and extend respectively through an opening in the cylindrical side of the container and through the bottom-of the container and these tabsare bent at right angles to prevent their withdrawal from-the openings. The vertical portion8 of the shield member is cut away as indicated at Ilwhereby openings are formed between this portion 8 and the cylindrical side portion 3 of the container whereby the mouse or fig- We may move underneath the shield portion through these openings.

The movable mouse figure, which is positioned within the container as indicated by Fin Fig. 5, is'iormed of a length of chenille. ornamentation material, this chenille comprising a length of strandsof wire twisted together to form the central portion 12, these wires having twisted therebetween a great'number of-soft bristles or hairs l3 which extend slightly angularly anduniformly from the central portion l2. To form the figure of a mouse the chenille is -taperedto a smaller diameter at its forward end, the bristles being clipped or removed from-the twisted wires l2 at the rear end of the figure to form the tail of the mouse. A piece of paper or cardboard is cut to the shape of the head M of a mouse and is glued to one side of the forward end of the tuft of chenille whereby the figure is formed to have the appearance of a mouse.

The tail l 2 and head [4 are of sufficient size and shape to prevent upsetting of the mouse. Thus the toy does not get out of order.

In operation the container is held horizontally in one hand and the container is scratched along the knurled surface 4 along the part of the container whereby a vibrating movement is given to the container and the mouse or figure moves in a forward direction around the outer edge of the inside of the container. The figure within the container may be seen by the operator when it is in the unshielded portion of the container and the figure cannot be seen when it is under the shielded portion within the container. Thus the figure may be seen during half of its movement around the container and during the other half the figure cannot be seen.

The vibrating movement of the container, to move the figure in a forward direction, is accomplished through the fact that the bristles of the tuft of chenille all extend angularly and uniformly in one direction relative to the length of twisted wire central portion i2 .011" the tuft of chenille. It will be seen that any upward movement of the bottom of the container will push against the outer ends of the bristles, and the figure having a certain amount of inertia, the bristles will bend and will move the figure ahead, and on downward movement of the bottom of the container, the bristles are free to spring ahead to their normal position relative to the central portion of the tuft of chenille. Horizontal vibrating movement of the bottom of the container is also transmitted to the figure to move the figure in a forward direction. As shown in Fig. 5, in its vibrating movement, when the bottom of the container is moved to the left, the figure also moves to the left due to the angularity of contact of the bristles with the bottom of the container and the movement of the bottom of the container to the right in its vibrating movement is not transmitted to the mouse figure due to the angularity of the bristles.

This toy may also be used in a racing contest wherein a number of contestants each have one of these toys and each of the toys has a starting line l5 as indicated by Fig. 2 of the drawing and with the mouse on the starting line, each contestant tries his skill to see who is the most dexterous in bringing the mouse around the container and back to the starting line.

With the foregoing description, it will be understood that I have invented a toy which is very interesting and amusing and which has a movable figure which requires no mechanical means to move it in its forward direction within the container of the toy. The toy is very easy to operate and the mode of operation of the toy is quite unusual and to some people and to most children the operation is amusingly mysterious. The figure moves in its circular motion around the container on a slight vibrating motion of the container. I

The modified structure of Fig. 6 embodies the same principle of operation as the previously described structure. In this modification the bristles l3a project from the bottom 2 of the container and support the body Fa upon them. The bristles may be readily provided in the form of a piece of velour cloth or fabric of like nature which can be readily purchased and they are caused to incline in the direction of travel of the body by ironing them with considerable pressure which gives them a fixed inclination. In the present device in which the body is to follow a circular path a circular piece of velour may be attached to a rotating member such as a lathe head and rotated while an iron is held against it under pressure.

The body Fa may be made in any suitable form and of any suitable material such as wood, cardboard or sheet metal. It should be sufficiently light that it will be readily supported by the bristles and heavy enough to cause the bristles to flex when the container is jarred.

The operation of the device constructed in this modified form is substantially the same as in the previously described form and movement or vibration of the container will cause the bristles to fiex under the weight of the body in the direction of the inclination of the bristles and causing the body to move.

The toy is easy to manufacture in either of its forms, having only a few simple parts which are easy to make and assemble.

Having thus described my invention, the particular construction which I claim is new is defined in the appended claims and are to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming withinv their scope.

I claim:

1. A toy comprising, a container having a substantially horizontal bottom and a continuous curved upright wall, bristles extending upwardly from said bottom and inclined thereto in a direction following a path in conformity with the curvature of said wall and a movable body supported on said bristles.

2 A toy comprising a container adapted for movement and having a substantially horizontal bottom, an upwardly extending curved wall on said container, a body having flexible bristles upon which said body is movably supported on said bottom adjacent said wall and said body being curved substantially in conformity with the curve of said wall.

3. A toy comprising a container having a substantially horizontal bottom, a body having fiexible bristles upon which it is movably supported on said bottom, said bristles extending from said body angularly to said bottom and a roughened portion on said container for vibrating the same.

4. A toy comprising a container having a substantially horizontal bottom and a curved upright wall, a body having a head and being curved in substantial conformity with the curvature of the wall and flexible bristles angularly interposed between said body .and said bottom and attached to one of said members.

5. A toy comprising a container having a substantially horizontal bottom and a cylindrical vertical side portion, said container being closed by a transparent cover, a body within said container provided with flexible bristles upon which it is movably supported on said bottom, a shielded portion in said container spaced from the bottom thereof to allow said body to pass thereunder, said body being curved substantially in conformity with the curve of said cylindrical side portion of the container.

SMITH KYSER. 

